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There have been 995 reasons to follow closely Connor McDavid this week.

And not just for hockey fans. Both teammates and opponents have also been waiting for the Edmonton Oilers‘ 27-year-old captain to close the five-point gap and become the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 1,000 career point mark.

Depending on which bench they sit on, it can be good or not so good, depending on the score. But either way, full respect, not to mention a little awe, is offered.

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“It’s obviously crazy,” said New York Islanders center Bo Horvat, who was in Edmonton for a game Tuesday. “You knew, obviously, that it was special to play against him as a junior, but you never know how that will translate in the NHL. And it seems like he took his game to another level.”

One that has him in the same company as Wayne Gretzky (424 games), Mario Lemieux (513 games) and Mike Bossy (656 games), who are the only three players to reach the millennium mark the fastest. Tuesday’s Islanders game marks McDavid’s 658th regular-season game.

And Islanders head coach Patrick Roy knows a thing or two about those historic offensive powers, having faced each of them during his career as a Hall of Fame goaltender.

“I’m not going to compare him with others, it’s not fair. It was different,” Roy said. “But one thing I can say is that he is a really good player. He skates well and sees the ice well. Attack the network. Able to defend well.

“So, for these reasons, he is where he is now.”

And that’s right on the verge of becoming the 99th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. The speed with which he does this is what puts him in the 97th percentile for greatness, so to speak.

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“In my opinion, there has never been a player like him, especially in the modern era,” said his friend and teammate Leon Draisaitl. “No player has created chances like he does, with the speed and consistency that he does over the last 10 years. Very, very impressive.

“I think the most impressive thing is that everyone knows it’s coming and yet you can’t stop it. That’s like any great player in any sport, the whole game plan is to let Ovi (Alexander Ovechkin) not look around the net and not let him shoot from the left circle and every night you go on the NHL app and says: “Ovi potes dos.” “It’s just awesome and the same goes for Connor.”

With 339 goals and 656 assists heading into Tuesday’s game, it’s easy to focus on McDavid’s high-octane offense. But according to teammate Darnell Nurse, you’d miss the other half of the game. And that, in his opinion, is what puts McDavid on another level.

“If you look at the offensive stats, those are the things that jump out, but I think it’s his all-around game and his commitment to defense,” Nurse said. “When we work on our D zone and our coverages, he’s the first person to ask questions and he wants to perfect that side of the game first.

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“So, obviously, the offensive side and all the numbers are very revealing and obvious. But you think that no matter how committed he is to the defensive end, he doesn’t get enough credit for that.”

Kris Knoblauch’s great first year

A season of great change that ended with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals has Kris Knoblauch as entrenched as the Edmonton Oilers head coach it’s hard to believe he just lost his rookie title.

The 46-year-old bench boss celebrated his first anniversary at the helm of the team on Tuesday, since replacing his predecessor, Jay Woodcroft.

Knoblauch posted a 53-25-6 record over the past year for a .667 winning percentage, which is an Oilers club record.

“I would definitely say there’s a sense of calm in our group, in our room,” Nurse said. “There’s definitely fun to be had and he’s been a big proponent of that and a big reason why we’ve been able to get through some of the ups and downs and just continue to stay the course and the way we want to play.

“That comes from the leader of their group, and for us it’s the head coach.”

Email: [email protected]

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On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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